Adventure sailing, boat building, and interests of roger mann. Not dedicated to one interest but at the moment adventure sailing is taking a front seat.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Stength Trainning and decision making.

I have been lifting weights more lately preparing for the upcoming Scottish Highland games this weekend. I have a big decision to make. I will have to decide how to spend my upcoming long weekend. The Greenville Scottish games are Saturday and one of the only games that I had planned to attend this year so I could do that and do some sailing locally or I could do a 3 day trip to either NC or Fl. and do parts of the challenge races that are coming up and not do the games.
For about the past 5 years I have been strength trainning and working on explosive power in order to be good in the heavy events. I am now finding that the quickness and power is not helping me much with the endurance events so my focus is going to have to change somewhat.

Here is my pressing 130 lbs overhead with one arm this past Saturday. Currently I weigh 207 lbs. And yes I am very trusting in the ducktape! It got to expensive buying new dumbells so this is a 100 lb one with 6 each 5 lb weights taped to it. I asked my wife if she feels secure knowing that I could lift her overhead with one arm and she said sure....but that does not include her "fudge factor" so it may not be the same.
Anyway, This helps me in the stone throw. The large stone we throw weighs around 25 lbs usually and sometimes up to 32 and I usually put the 25 lb around 24 feet. The normal stone is 16 lbs and I put it around 33 feet. My Best event is the 16 Sheaf toss where we throw for height over a bar with a pitchfork. I currently hold the world record at 30 feet for the masters 40 - 49 age group for men under 200 lbs. http://www.scottishmasters.org/records/MensThrows40under200.html
This does not sound like such a great feat until you put it into perspective. Imagine thowing a bowling ball 30 feet into the air over a bar with a pitchfork- It weighs 16 lbs too!
I would like to get a shot to improve some of my events and maybe better my personal records. I have limited my games this year becasue it takes quite a toll on the old booty...I mean body. SO that is my dilima for the weekend. Miss the games or miss an oportunity for a challenge practice which I despertly need.( I wish this thing had spell check)
I have always admired the old strong men. I have studied and read about them and there is a strongman web page that I visit often and learn from their trainning. They call it Diansaur trainning. It is another interest of mine. The current day version is the strongman events where they lift odd things. Those guys are crazy strong.